After trying social media marketing campaigns and college career fairs, Tony Doll realized there had to be a better way to find talent for his company. As the diesel technician recruiter for Wallwork Truck Center in Fargo, ND, he knew some of their best technicians came from small, rural North Dakota towns and by the time these students reached college, they were often already recruited by a competitor company.
It was time to reach out directly to students across the state while they were still in high school – and partner with Golden Path Solutions to help.
“We have moved a lot of our focus from online marketing to getting in front of high school students, especially in smaller, rural communities,” he says. “It’s become our new strategy to introduce future diesel technicians to the Wallwork brand.”
For Doll, that looks like traveling the state to speak to classes, attend high school career fairs, and visit directly with teachers and students, as well as offering company tours and featuring a diesel technician Career Profile in Golden Path’s online platform, Compass. He also uses Golden Path marketing templates to easily create handouts for his in-person visits. The combination of making personal connections and sharing career information with schools across the state through Compass has led to several new hires and overall increased interest in Wallwork careers.
“We want to showcase our culture here at Wallwork and the best way to do that is by getting in front of students in person and even offering an on-site visit and tour if a student is interested,” he says.
Doll is thrilled with the results and already taking the next steps to build upon that success. He’s identified more North Dakota high schools he wants to reach this year through career fairs and classroom visits. Wallwork also recently began offering a job shadow experience through Compass.
In addition, Doll is developing a work-based learning (WBL) opportunity to offer in Compass. The only challenge is determining what students under 18 are allowed to do, as they are bound by the legal restrictions surrounding a hazardous occupation like diesel truck repair. Once he has the WBL experience in Compass, it will work together with the Career Profile to help students understand what it’s like to be a diesel technician at Wallwork and what it takes to get there.
“Golden Path works with schools to offer a platform that students can use to filter down career options for local companies that offer real opportunities for students,” Doll says. “We’ve had success with our Diesel Technician Career Profile in Compass. It really gives students an inside look into what this career is like. There are sections in the profile that you won’t see in a job post or a job description but are important to what students are looking for.”
It’s an effective way to reach more schools and students, complementing his in-person visits and making students aware of a potential career at Wallwork.
“It’s been so easy that I’ve become a set-it-and-forget-it employer,” he says. “I filled out the Career Profile form, submitted it for review, and then heard from Golden Path staff with any questions or issues. I didn’t have to stress about the information I entered as they looked over it for me.”
For more information about Career Profiles and other ways Golden Path Solutions can support your future workforce, contact us at info@goldenpath.net. For more information about Wallwork, you can reach Doll at tony.doll@wallworktrucks.com.